The Tyke 2 Sabres will hit the ice well over 50 times this season as they build their hockey skills through many practices, games and a couple of tournaments, including one in the United States. These 16 individuals will quickly develop into a strong team of friends and teammates. Undoubtedly, the common bond between them will be fun.

This year’s Tyke 2 coaches are veteran FHA coaches Glen Smith and Gary Banting, who will be supported by Assistant Coach Jason Schaap, Trainer Colin Hooper and Manager Darrell Dietz.

Of course at this age, the biggest support comes from the players’ parents, who spend countless hours providing off-ice ‘life coaching,’ offering encouragement, and helping with fundraising and transportation to and from the arena, often in full hockey gear! Recently, the Tyke 2 squad presented a cheque for $1,000 to the FHA executive. The money was raised through a Gatorade sales program run by the team this summer. Funds from the program will be used by both the team and the FHA to make playing hockey in Flamborough more accessible and affordable.

The Sabres started the exhibition season with a bang last Thursday against Dundas.

They wasted no time in getting down to business. Three minutes in, after some confusion in the neutral zone, centre Ryan Dunne pounced on the puck and glided in for the Sabres’ first. Jaden Faulkner then notched the Sabres’ second, taking a great pass from Colby Prikker. And, just to make sure the scorekeeper stayed warm, Prikker snuck in from the wing and rifled in the Sabres’ third. The onslaught prompted a response from Dundas who mounted sustained pressure for the final two minutes. Goalie Billy Moore came up big, time and again, and preserved the lead for Flamborough going into the first intermission.

The second period opened with a monster shot from the Sabres’ Gerett Cottrell that just missed. A minute later, Keven Brennan flipped in a quick shot to get the Sabres rolling again. Midway through the second, Dundas scored a pair of goals but, after some great defence from Ryan Riggs and Braeden Hooper, Nolan Fetter jumped on a loose puck and fired it in to make it 5-2. With the 2Cats back on a roll, goalie Zach Dietz was brought in to keep the momentum going. He didn’t disappoint, effectively closing up shop for the Sabres for the rest of the period. Later in the period, James Curwen stormed in from the blue line with a shot and rebound that Charlie Smith banged home. To add an exclamation point, Jacob Dietz wired a defence-splitting pass to Brennan, who made it 7-2 for Flamborough.

In the third, sustained pressure down the wings from Liam Passmore and Justin Thornhill created a bucketful of chances for the Sabres, and produced goals from Dunne, assisted by Hooper, Tyler “Buzzsaw” Schaap and Charlie Smith, resulting in a 10-2 final.

In game two, the Sabres faced Cale- don, a perennial powerhouse. The Sabres came out blasting with slick passing and a sharp eye for the goal, Again, the Sabres emerged victorious with a 4-2 win, thanks to goals from Dunne, Fetter and Prikker. Assists went to Cottrell and Smith.

With two games under their belt and 14 goals in the ‘for’ column, the Sabres aim to keep things rolling over the next few weeks before they open up the regular season.

-Submitted by Darrell Dietz